Which versions of chai-as-char are malicious?

Every published version of chai-as-char on npm is considered malicious. Remove the package entirely.

How do I remediate chai-as-char if I installed it?

Remove chai-as-char from your project and lockfile, then assume any secrets accessible to the build or runtime were exposed: rotate API keys, tokens, and credentials, and audit for unexpected outbound activity or persistence.

I already installed chai-as-char — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If chai-as-char was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.

Is chai-as-char part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — chai-as-char is associated with the GHSA-jhr8-c8fj-ccwc campaign. Packages in the same campaign often share infrastructure and payloads, so check whether any related packages are also in your dependency tree.

How do I find chai-as-char across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for chai-as-char (all published versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging chai-as-char across your stack and pipelines.

Malicious package

chai-as-charnpm

Malicious code in chai-as-char (npm) Remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

MAL-2026-3164

Immediate action

Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.

npm uninstall chai-as-char

What this malware does

The package chai-as-char was found to contain malicious code.

Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.

Malicious versions

all versions

Every published version of this package is considered malicious — remove it entirely.

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

e12e1d019bed1dd99212206b54a611003e75acc13943eb13c8ab63cd388adc83

0beb7aa3057c2e6c31e9bb9074f8ac71d5b2ad3a9f65761c0131816ab4bdb8df

Detection & response playbook

Malicious package

Find it
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for chai-as-char (all published versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging chai-as-char across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
Remove chai-as-char from your project and lockfile, then assume any secrets accessible to the build or runtime were exposed: rotate API keys, tokens, and credentials, and audit for unexpected outbound activity or persistence.
Did it already run?
If chai-as-char was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.
How O3 protects you
O3 blocks chai-as-char before install through its supply-chain scanner, and if it has already run, detects and severs the exfiltration or C2 callback at runtime through L7 egress monitoring and eBPF.

Frequently asked questions

No. chai-as-char on npm has been identified as a malicious package (all published versions flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

GHSA-jhr8-c8fj-ccwc

References

github.com

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks chai-as-char-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the malicious outbound activity and severs the channel.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring